I like sly observations, snappy dialogue, and am fascinated by the relentless pull and push of people who attract and repel each other (whether they like it or not). My characters are sometimes wilful, but often belittled by other people’s achievements. But they are reassured, ultimately, that they are measuring themselves against a world that is much less confident than it outwardly appears. Favourite authors (unsurprisingly) are Anne Tyler and Anne Fine.